Tipperary have too much for a changed Galway
FOR the past seven seasons or so, these two counties have used each other as a gauge for where they stand in the order of things. If hurling does have a big three, this pair have been part of it more consistently than anyone else in recent times.
Of course, they are now both chasing Limerick, whereas previously it was Kilkenny. And even if this result doesn’t suggest that Tipp are now the closest challengers for the Treaty side’s crown, it will give Liam Sheedy and his players a pep in their step as hurling takes a break from all the hand-wringing and soul-searching for a fortnight.
And it had emerged just hours before the ball was thrown in at Semple Stadium that Tipperary have lost the services of one of their folk heroes, Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher, for the season after he suffered a bad Achilles heel injury during the week - less than three years after rupturing his cruciate ligament in 2019.
‘Losing one of our best warriors, who has soldiered with me for so many years was a very tough pill to swallow,’ Sheedy admitted. ‘It’s really tough for him. This is his second year out of three where he’s watching from the sidelines but my thoughts are with him. Bonner Maher is a pure leader and an inspirational person to be around.’
This entertaining tussle in Thurles was just the type of match where Bonner would have thrived in the past. Plenty of bodies around the middle third, lots of dirty ball to be won. In his unfortunate absence, a couple of Tipp players stepped up to suggest they might take the mantle.
Niall O’Meara only came on at half-time, but he became one of the most influential players on the pitch. He worked tirelessly around the middle third, and played a key part in the attacking supply line while Mikey Breen only came off the bench for the final 10 minutes and still managed to nail two of the points that sealed this win.
The scoreline was a reflection of Tipperary’s superiority but their errant shooting saw them hit 11 wides in the first-half alone, often the result of poor shot selection, rather than simple inaccuracy.
It was a particularly trying 35 minutes for John McGrath. As usual, he was full of tricks and slick moves but even when he found himself in an excellent shooting position, he was unable to put the ball over the bar.
There was a late change to the Tipp side as goalkeeper Brian Hogan was stood down after failing to pass concussion protocols and Barry Hogan took his place. But he gave an assured displa, his confidence bolstered by a fine early save from Kevin Cooney.
Galway made nine changes from the side who were so impressive against the All-Ireland champions last Sunday and it showed for most of the first-half, as it took them time to settle into the game. Daithi Burke returned to the no.3 shirt but there was an uncharacteristic frailty to the full-back line he was marshalling, with Burke himself losing possession in the fifth minute as Noel McGrath’s vision picked out Jason Forde for the game’s first goal.
Joe Canning’s prowess from the placed-ball kept Galway in the game with Brian Cancannon catching the eye up front with whatever scraps he was being fed although Cathal Barrett’s imperious performance ensured that Galway’s full-forward line endured a difficult afternoon.
In truth, Tipp did almost all of the hurling in the first-half and Noel McGrath’s goal in the 29th minute ensured the scoreline gave a more accurate reading of what was happening on the field, as Tipp were now 2-7 to -0-6 ahead.
Galway stitched together the final five points of the first-half, with some lovely scores from Cancannon and Conor Cooney to only be two points adrift at half-time, 2-7 to 0-11, and when Cooney and Conor Whelan opened the scoring after the restart, there was a sense that the Tribesmen may be starting to turn things around.
But the same disease that afflicted Tipp players in the first-half started to affect Galway after the break as they began to fire wide after wide. By the time of the second-half water break, both teams looked to be leg-weary and the feeling was that whichever side got the better return from the bench would end up victorious.
With O’Meara, Breen, Brendan Maher and Paul Flynn all finding their range and O’Meara working so hard at scooping up both high and low ball, that was always the Premier County.
Galway ended the game with 14 as substitute Jarlath Mannion got his marching orders after tangling with Barrett and was sent off by John Keenan on the umpire’s instruction. It probably made little difference to the result.
Tipperary needed this as a statement win, similar to what Galway did last week.
However, if these two teams do meet later in the summer, as they usually do, there is probably little in what transpired here that will give us clues as to the complexion of that championship game. Tipperary: B Hogan; C Barrett, P Maher, B Heffernan; R Byrne, S Kennedy(B McGrath 64), R Maher; A Flynn(W Connors 47), P Caddell(B Maher 47); D McCormack(J Morris 53), N McGrath(M Brenn 60), D Quirke(N O’Meara h-t); J O’Dwyer, J Forde, J McGrath (P Flynn h-t). ScorerS: J Forde 1-5(4 frees), N McGrath 1-2, J O’Dwyer 0-3, R Maher, M Breen 0-2 each, B Maher, N O’Meara, B Hefferan, R Byrne, P Flynn 0-1 each. Galway: E Murphy; D Morrissey, D Burke(G McInerney 49), TJ Brennan; A Tuohey, P Mannion, A Harte(J Fitzpatrick 55); J Canning(E Niland 55), J Coen; J Cooney(C Mannion 55), J Flynn(N Burke 49), C Cooney(J Hastings 69); B Concannon, K Cooney(J Mannion 58), C Whelan.
ScorerS: J Canning 0-8 (1 65, 6 frees), B Concannon 0-3, E Niland 0-3 (2 frees), C Cooney 0-2, C Whelan, K Cooney, J Flynn (free), J Coen 0-1 each. ref: J Keenan (Wicklow).